The Three Realms Thief Chapter 3

“Failure will result in being struck by spirit swords to death.”

“Success will grant you a reward and qualification to enter the second half of the match.”

“Begin!”

The progress bar quickly finished loading.

The entire world fell silent.

The怪人 leaped high into the air, his long sword just one centimeter from Xu Yuan’s nose.

But everything was still.

Xu Yuan felt that even his breathing began to slow down extremely.

He wanted to raise his hand, but couldn’t.

He wanted to move, but couldn’t at all.

The heavy and stagnant void began to violently squeeze his body, as if rejecting him.

“Ah—”

Xu Yuan was suddenly “squeezed” out of this time and space.

In an instant.

The entire stadium and the six-armed monster all flew backward like scenery from a train, quickly disappearing from sight.

He only felt himself traversing through a dark abyss at an unimaginable speed.

Perhaps it was an immensely long period, or perhaps only a fleeting moment.

At some point.

A line of faint micro-text silently appeared in his eyes:

“Current time: three days ago.”

Xu Yuan only felt his speed slowing down, replaced by an increasingly urgent sensation of falling.

Light began to appear.

—It was the incandescent lamps above the classroom,

Then the blackboard, podium, desks and chairs, and people.

Xu Yuan suddenly looked up and found himself sitting in the classroom, holding an exercise book.

All around him, classmates were engrossed in their studies.

His deskmate was sleeping with his head tilted back.

Outside, it was dark.

It was time for evening self-study.

—It was three days ago.

Indeed, I returned three days ago!

What about the shop?

He glanced at the void.

The shop immediately opened, appearing as “Apprentice Qi Cultivator’s Combat Preparation Room”.

The shelves were still empty.

There was only a black box with “Gift pack has been distributed, open now?” written on it.

—You should have distributed it earlier!

I already transmigrated three days ago, and you only show up now; we didn’t even get to fight!

“Open.”

Xu Yuan sighed regretfully and muttered.

The black box immediately opened.

Inside the box was a blank slip of paper and a dull silver ring.

A slip of paper…

Can this even be considered a reward?

Xu Yuan’s mind stirred, and the slip of paper appeared in his hand.

At the same time.

A line of faint micro-text silently appeared on his retina:

“You have obtained a ‘blank historical sidemission’. Please write down your wish, and this sidemission will be immediately established.”

Xu Yuan’s heart trembled.

He had played all sorts of games, so as soon as he saw something like “write down your wish”, he immediately understood the weight of this slip of paper.

Could it be—

This was actually a special item that “grants wishes”?

Then he truly hit the jackpot!

He composed himself, looked around, and saw his classmates engrossed in their exercises. Only then did he take out a pen and write his wish on the blank slip of paper:

“Please grant me a hundred wishes.”

As soon as he finished writing, all the small words disappeared.

The slip of paper remained blank.

New prompts quickly popped up on his retina:

“Please write a realistic wish within 30 seconds, otherwise the slip of paper will disappear.”

No!

Are you angry?

Xu Yuan sighed, a somewhat desolate expression on his face.

Not even a hundred wishes can be granted.

—Life is full of thorns!

What should I write then?

There’s nothing else to write.

Only—

He picked up the pen and wrote four characters:

“Improve strength.”

Surely this is acceptable!

The cultivation world is definitely a world that values strength.

This should be fine, as I am aligned with the main theme of the world!

Xu Yuan put down his pen and stared at the slip of paper.

This time.

The words on the paper did not disappear.

Below his four written characters, “Improve Strength,” lines of new, small words quickly appeared:

“Historical side story has been established.”

“This historical sidemission was born from your will and has not affected anything that happened in previous eras.”

“Congratulations.”

“You have gained an unrecorded personal history:

From junior high school, you secretly and desperately studied and trained.

You once meditated alone at midnight, cultivating Qi;

You also sweated profusely in the training ground at four in the morning;

Yang Xiaobing, the sole witness, hid in the dark, silently observing all of this but remained silent.

Until now, at this moment, unknown to others—

You have already broken through to the first level of Qi Cultivation.”

All the small words finished displaying, and the slip of paper disappeared.

Xu Yuan was shocked.

What!

There’s even a way to boost strength like this?

He suddenly jumped up, uttered a low cry of “stomach ache,” and then, under the surprised gazes of his classmates, ran out of the classroom.

He dashed like a whirlwind into the restroom at the end of the corridor, found a cubicle, locked the door.

It began!

A constantly flowing, vibrant power quietly appeared on Xu Yuan.

“This is…”

He raised his hand.

As his thought moved, his five fingers began to faintly glow.

Spiritual power!

He had spiritual power!

At the same time.

Innumerable images floated into his mind.

The diligent efforts of every day over the past few years.

Walking while reciting, eating while reciting, even going to the toilet while reciting; countless sword swings on the training ground; persistent meditation practice in the dead of night—

These memories surged like a tide, turning into reality, as if he could see the path he had traveled just by looking back.

Xu Yuan closed his eyes, then opened them again.

The whole world became clearer before his eyes.

Without looking, just by feeling, he could perceive the movements around him.

Light as a swallow.

Has the strength of a thousand catties in his hand (not really).

An inexplicable power swirled in his lower abdomen; as long as he willed it, it would burst forth, entirely at his command.

Is this really…

The legendary…

Chakra?

Bah, bah, bah, wrong channel.

However.

This is spiritual power!

—It is the magical essence of this world.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, gathered spiritual power to his feet, and tried to walk up the wall.

One step.

Didn’t fall.

Two steps.

Still didn’t fall.

Three, four steps, looking up at the sky, watching the stars connecting in lines.

Stop!

This is not a singing occasion!

Xu Yuan walked a few more steps, then stood directly on the mirror in front of the sink, turned around, put his hands in his pockets, and whistled.

The mirror was smooth.

But he didn’t fall.

This power…

As long as he doesn’t wear a skirt, it’s perfect.

Quiet.

Quiet.

Silence—

A strange and incredible emotion surged within Xu Yuan, so much so that he didn’t want to say another word.

Many techniques, with spiritual power, will also unleash powers as different as clouds and mud!

—When the leaves of Konoha dance, perhaps I can take my Zanpakutō and search for One Piece on the high seas.

Life will be completely different from now on!

This feeling of being reborn made Xu Yuan feel that “he had been living in vain all along”.

“This is only the first layer of Qi Cultivation; if I continue to improve…”

He muttered softly, his heart growing excited.

Ever since transmigrating, either he was crucified by a sword or hastily engaged in gunfights.

He hadn’t even had time to carefully examine the memories of the original body.

In fact.

Cultivators in this world are quite prominent figures among the populace.

They are not only powerful but also truly top-tier celebrities!

What influencer can compare to a man who can fly with a sword?

What female celebrity can be compared to a woman who can control water, fire, and the five elements, and eternal youth?

Precisely because of this.

Humans in this world highly value martial prowess.

Schools at all levels have strengthened physical training from an early age, and there are various levels of fighting competitions in society.

—Xu Yuan thought the original body’s physique was good for this reason.

Coming back to the point.

A small slip of paper actually allowed him to break through to the first layer of Qi Cultivation!

And he did nothing!

What the hell, he could actually “add history” directly!

—Can I do it again!

Xu Yuan looked at his shop, but saw that the shop had been renamed.

“Qi Cultivator’s Combat Preparation Room.”

—The word “Apprentice” had been removed.

The black box was still there.

The blank slip of paper had disappeared, but there was still a dull silver ring.

Xu Yuan’s mind stirred, and he took out the ring.

“The Last Ring of Enlightenment.”

“?? Set (1/2).”

“Effect: Cultivation speed increased by 30%, only for the Qi Cultivation stage.”

“Obtain the other piece of equipment in the set to activate the set effect and the corresponding identity inheritance.”

“—At the appropriate time, the ring will guide your direction.”

Identity Inheritance!

What is this?

Xu Yuan searched his memories of the original body for the meaning of “inheritance.”

Generally speaking.

Only powerful, secret skills would be named “inheritance.”

So, it should directly enhance his combat power.

Then he must get it!

Xu Yuan put the silver ring on his finger and waited.

The ring remained still.

It seems this was not the “appropriate time.”

Oh well.

Let’s go back to the classroom first.

He stepped down from the mirror, washed and cleaned the mirror surface, then left the restroom and returned to the classroom.

The students were all busy with their exercises.

Only one or two people looked up at him, then lowered their heads and continued writing exercises.

Xu Yuan returned to his seat, slowly calmed down, and felt the tense and oppressive learning atmosphere in the classroom.

Third year of high school, that’s how it is.

Even if you awaken spiritual power, if you don’t know how to use it, it’s useless.

You must have a corresponding knowledge system to utilize spiritual power!

Alright.

—Study hard, go to college!

This is youth!

Xu Yuan looked resolutely at the blackboard.

On the right side of the blackboard was a line of powerful characters:

“191 days until the college entrance examination.”

A familiar sense of urgency.

Xu Yuan instinctively flipped open the notebook on his desk.

This was a high school “Alchemy” exercise book, with a thought-provoking question written on it:

“Your alchemy furnace is 12 meters long, 8 meters wide, and 6 meters high. If a cube with a side length of 3 meters is cut off from one corner, how much liquid medicine can the remaining part hold?”

“If, during the refining process, the ‘Kan’ position had three times the standard amount of water vapor added, and the amount of Geng Wind injected was twice the water vapor, and the measurement of Li Fire was 4.2 times more than Geng Wind; would your alchemy furnace explode?”

“—Please answer according to the third law of full-efficiency operation of the alchemy furnace.”

Xu Yuan froze for a few breaths, then “slapped” the exercise book shut and closed his eyes.

Who the hell made this question?

No—

Why do I still have to be in high school after transmigrating?

Maybe it would be better if they just hung me on the bridge.